


footwork

by KiriKay



Category: Sougiya Riddle | Undertaker Riddle
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Fighting, Gen, No Clue What To Tag This As, Self Indulgent As Fuck, Slice of Life, bathrooms as a concept, i guess it count as, not by like a lot but yknow still
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-09
Updated: 2018-06-09
Packaged: 2019-05-19 23:26:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14883239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KiriKay/pseuds/KiriKay
Summary: Riddle notices Hayato kind of sucks at fighting and decides it's time to pull him through the wringer.(aka my self indulgent fic for a sort-of-dead fandom because you can never escape your past, kiddos)





	footwork

**Author's Note:**

> heyo idk why i wrote this but here we are,,,,,,,,
> 
> pls enjoy

_ It’s graceless _ , Riddle thinks as he watches Hayato bounce around through slit eyes,  _ but it’ll work _ .

It takes very little to convince the high schooler to go along with Riddle’s proposition; a ring and a funeral later, the kid seems unnerved but determined. It was very cute in Riddle’s opinion; Hayato didn’t know half of what he just stepped into.

Riddle just needed to teach him a few things, though, and he'd surely be great.

“Now!” Riddle coos afterwards, watching Hayato stumble a little and rub at his eyes. “We’ve got a few things to do. Particularly, I’m gonna teach you how to get things done.”

“What does  _ that _ mean?” Hayato replies suspiciously, taking a half step back.

“Why don’t you figure it out?” Riddle says with a sharp smile and an outstretched hand.

Hayato looks between Riddle’s hand and his face for a moment before carefully putting his left hand into Riddle’s. The rose on his ring pulses pleasantly in Riddle’s grip.

* * *

Brad is going to want Riddle’s head on a platter for bringing a human into the Catacombs. Faust probably wouldn’t let him, but it was the thought that counted.

It only takes about two minutes of prodding for Riddle to finally get Hayato fired up enough to shake off the stupor of seeing the Catacombs out of him once they get there. The sprawl of the castle is beautiful, and Hayato keeps looking around at everything, taking in the ornate lights and the detailed spider web of designs on every arch they cross. The click of their boots on the floor draws his eyes at times too, flicking across the bright white and gold tiles. Everything in the Catacombs is obscenely resplendent, lovely and eerie all at once.

Riddle stops at a wide set of double doors, just as detailed as the rest of the castle.

“This place is amazing.” Hayato comments quietly, a warm presence amongst the dead.

“It is, isn’t it? This is where everything is organized for us,” Riddle replies, pushing the doors open. “And  _ this _ is where we’re going to train.”

“. . . Train  _ what _ ?”

“Train  _ you _ , of course!”

The cheerful tone makes Hayato absolutely  _ flip _ . Riddle enters the room, Hayato hot on his heels.

“Wait hold on, what the hell do you mean by  _ train _ ? I did  _ fine _ !” the younger boy squawks, totally off put by the idea.

Hayato hadn’t known Riddle for long, but he was better at understanding people than anyone gave him credit for-- and yet, Riddle was just that, a riddle. He couldn’t get a feel for what Riddle was like outside of his vapid moments, the semi-false cheer that laced every word and lent edges to his threats. It was infuriating, and the idea of training made that degree of separation that much more daunting.

“ _ This time _ ,” Riddle says emphatically before a gentleness invades his tone. “But I can’t have you running around blind, now can I? We wouldn’t be good partners that way.”

“I guess.” Hayato concedes with a sigh before looking around the room. “So. Where are we?”

Riddle smiles, sharp and sweet, as he fans his hand across the room.

“This is one of the rooms designated to training. Even Undertakers need to sharpen up every once in awhile!”

The tile that had glowed outside was replaced by smooth concrete and Hayato tapped his heel against it, hearing the resounding thunk that assured that the floor was tough. There was still a stylish chandelier hanging from the ceiling, but the glass seemed thicker and radiated a warm orange-tinged light; it sluices down the walls and creates sharp shadows under the wood panelling like stagnant water. Otherwise, there was little else to look at-- the barebones of the room gave it a bizarre feeling, like walking into something that should be lively only to be proven wrong.

Hayato shivers. Riddle’s grin widens.

“We’ll start easy, how does that sound?” Riddle asks sweetly, twirling his cross and leaning it against the nearest wall.

Hayato lets a smile tick onto the corner of his mouth.

“Okay, I’ll try my best.”

* * *

“This was a mistake!” Hayato groans, shaking out his arms. “This is  _ not _ easy! Goddamn it Riddle!”

Riddle snorts, watching as Hayato flops to sit on the cool floor. They had really only done hand-to-hand (after some stretches because Riddle was, if a bit sadistic, well rounded and not a  _ total _ monster) but Riddle was naturally tough.

“Now now Hayato,” Riddle coos cheerily, leaning down to face him. “Get on up, we’ve only been working for an hour and a half!”

“It feels like forever!”

“I guess you're quitting on me now, huh?” Riddle continues dramatically, fanning his face as crocodile tears begin to pile up. “I can't believe you're already letting me down Hayato! Must be too tough for someone like you. . .”

Hayato makes a strangled noise and scrambles to stand up.

“What do you mean someone like me! I'll get better so quick you won't even  _ believe _ it when you see it!”

Riddle feels a smile sprawl across his lips, genuine and soft at Hayato’s determination. That hair-trigger temper would cost him, but it would also save his life. So with a flourish, Riddle takes his stance and watches as Hayato widens his own.

Hayato jabs first, ever ready to take a step forward.

* * *

Hayato ropes Hiren into their training, because Ren couldn't say no to those eyes and he had proven to be a  _ very _ diverse fighter. Hayato couldn't say no to a challenge that sat right before him, even when that challenge was someone a thousand times more experienced than him. There’s no way Riddle was going to miss it, and Dante had stubbornly tagged along to smoke and make a nuisance of himself.

(He motivated Hiren quite a bit, and Riddle doubts it’s a one sided affair. He tases Dante constantly about it, but the way he looked at Hiren spoke of a devotion Riddle knew better than to prod at.)

“Don't hold back!” Hayato says to Ren, and Riddle laughs behind his hand.

It doesn't take very long until Hayato has to start getting  _ real _ creative with his moves. Ren is fast and fierce, not wholly planned but able to compensate with sheer skill. It takes Hayato a few falls before he seems to find his rhythm, a quiet calculation behind his smile.

Using the impulse of one of Ren’s hits, Hayato hits the wall in a crouch and launches himself back onto Ren. Ren deflects him, but now Hayato gets the hang of using Ren’s own strength to assist his movement around the room.

Hayato doesn't win by any margin, but he looks more confident at the end of the whole thing. He’s bruised and sore, and in the morning he’s going to whine Riddle’s ear off, but he’d be back for more anyway.

* * *

Riddle is right about everything, because Hayato was as predictable as he was determined. Hayato is taking a bath of all things, and it's saturated with bubbles that smell faintly of chamomile and lavender. Riddle leans over the tub to hover above Hayato’s shut eyes.

“You're almost too cute for words!” Riddle coos, and Hayato’s resulting jump sloshes some water out of the tub.

“Riddle!” he hisses, face turning a deep shade of red. “What are you doing here?”

“Just came to check on you~” Riddle says, crouching to eye level with Hayato.

“I'm in the  _ bathroom. _ ”

“I can see that.”

Hayato pouts, cheeks puffing out before lifting his hand to spray water at Riddle’s face. Riddle laughs and takes Hayato’s hand (the ring is glittering on his finger, beautiful as always, and it always gives Riddle’s heart a start when he least expects it), kissing his knuckles warmly.

“I'll get Julian to train with you next time.” Riddle says airily, grip tightening a little.

“She’s going to kick my ass.” Hayato bemoans, relaxing further into the tub despite the fact his blush has barely toned down. For all Riddle flusters him, Hayato trusts him too; it's obvious in his languid movements and lax body language that Riddle isn’t a threat to him.

“Hiren kicked your ass.” Riddle reminds him gently.

“Mm.” Hayato stretches a leg out of the water, examining a purpling bruise on the arch of his foot with a wince. “I learned a lot though. Hopefully I can learn as much from Julian.”

“You're clever enough to learn from losing.” Riddle half-teases, turning Hayato’s hand to face up.

“You’re so mean.” Hayato whines, and Riddle presses a placating kiss to the center of his palm.

“The water is going to get cold if you don't finish soon,” Riddle says, loosening his hold but not quite letting go. “And  _ we _ have places to be.”

“We always do.” Hayato says, and there’s no harshness in his tone, just a fondness Riddle couldn't quite pinpoint. “Now get out so that I can finish.”

“I'll gladly wait for you forever.”

Hayato tries to shove Riddle away with a huff, and Riddle just laughs as he disappears.

* * *

Julian is  _ brutal.  _ Hayato had gotten used to the weight and heft of a sword for a weapon quickly enough, but that was hardly enough to match up against Julian. Where Ren was more accustomed to pockets of quick violence, Julian had the stamina for and practice in keeping a consistent attack up; she easily wore Hayato down without breaking much of a sweat.

“You should cut him open to see where he keeps that key.” Chelle says casually, giggling over Julian’s shoulder.

“No, no you shouldn't!” Hayato squeaks, sitting up from the sprawl he had on the ground to scramble away.

“I was expecting more of a fight.” Julian admits. “Riddle doesn't accept just anybody as his partner.”

“He's too pretty to reject.” Riddle teases, and Hayato rolls his eyes.

“I'm just getting started for now, Julian.” Hayato assures her, slowly standing up. “I'll only get better from here on out!”

“I'll accept no less.” Julian says coldly, but Chelle’s smile says it all: Julian has been won over already.

Once everything is said and done, Riddle graciously corrals Hayato to an elegant bathroom. It look expensive as all hell, floors a swirled marble with a large tub against the right side wall and a multihead shower all along the back wall. The sink is equally as opulent, with two bowls and spigots decorated in gold under a wall-length mirror. Riddle pulls a first aid kit from under the sink.

“I didn't know there would be kits down here.” Hayato says thoughtfully as he carefully peels off his boots and stockings.

“We get hurt just like mortals do,” Riddle says. “Wash off in the tub.”

Hayato is more bruised this time than when he fought Hiren. There’s a raw looking scrape on his thigh, torn right through his socks and it's bleeding sluggishly; it has a twin on his opposite calf and knee, much wider from where he had braced himself while skidding back. His legs are a mottled mess of blackish violets, sickly yellow-greens, and now aggressively bright reds. As Hayato carefully steps in, precariously sitting on the wide edge of the tub, they brilliantly juxtapose the blinding ivory white of the basin.

If Riddle were less sure of himself, he might call it brutal. As is, all he can see is how beautifully Hayato breaks himself to build right back up. Hayato carefully starts washing the blood away with cool water, hissing a little at the pain.

“This thing has  _ jets _ .” he says, awe in his voice. “Next time I'm taking the longest bath in the world here.”

“You could just do it now.” Riddle points out, passing Hayato antiseptic.

“I don't have any clothes here. Plus, I have to see if Faust is okay with me spending so much time down here.”

“You're her heir, I doubt she’ll be displeased.”

Hayato hums as he disinfects his cuts, distracting himself from the stinging as much as possible. He looks tired but hardly worn out, and Riddle thinks it was a mistake to insist on sitting through the little training sessions because all he feels is fondness for the stubborn idiot.

“I like Julian,” Hayato says, carefully pulling his legs over the edge of the tub and back over the floor. Riddle pulls out the gauze and kneels. “But she-- what are you doing?”

“Don’t mind me, just keep talking.” Riddle says, voice smooth as he starts to dry and wrap Hayato’s calf with a sure touch. “What about Julian?”

“Ah,” and Hayato is blushing, easily flustered as always, but he stretches his leg out a little more to make it easier on Riddle. “She doesn't seem like the teaching type.”

“I can think of someone who has a better knack for teaching.”

Riddle finishes wrapping, and for a moment he just looks at Hayato. Hayato carefully places his feet on the floor and stands, bending his knee slowly to see how much give he had.

“That’s really good. Thank you, Riddle.” he says, smiling faintly.

“Turn so I can get to the one on your thigh, dear.”

“Dear?” Hayato squeaks, laughing a little as he turns obediently. He’s still red, but seems more amused now. “That is new for you. Are you going soft on me, Riddle?”

Riddle presses his thumb against the edges of the injury, scabs shivering as they attempt to hold back blood. Hayato yelps and glares down at Riddle, and Riddle just smiles like an airhead and gets to wrapping. In retaliation, Hayato swipes Riddle’s hat off and puts it on himself. He plays off any size difference by tilting it stylishly to the side, giving himself a one over in the mirror.

“Naughty.” Riddle tsks.

“You started it.” Hayato shoots back.

“I certainly did.”

**Author's Note:**

> i have no schedule or anything thought up for this but ye
> 
> next chapter: more hiren, ansem and luka, and maybe a brad and faust? we'll see
> 
> i have a [tumblr writing blog](http://selenolatries.tumblr.com/) but its like 99% utapri and i had a UR side blog but its kinda dead so ye, but feel free to visit me whenever, i always love talkin <3


End file.
